U.S. patent application number 10/704660 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for device for accommodating inserts.
This patent application is currently assigned to SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Takada, Masahiko.
Application Number | 20040095731 10/704660 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32290164 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040095731 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takada, Masahiko |
May 20, 2004 |
Device for accommodating inserts
Abstract
A cam groove provided in a chassis is furnished with a first cam
portion permitting an eject button to move only forward from being
depressed, and a second cam portion permitting the button to shift
between its depressed and protruding states. A slide unit
interlocks with a switching lever spring-urged toward a push-out
plate and moves away from a recording-medium travel path by being
pushed by a recording medium when plugged into the chassis. In
standby, the switching lever interlocks with the first cam portion,
advancing into the travel path. With a recording medium bieng
plugged into the chassis, by the eject button being pushed a first
time the switching lever withdraws from the travel path and shifts
into the second cam portion, permitting the eject button to
protrude backward. By the eject button being pushed a second time,
the push-out plate and slide unit are put into cooperation.
Inventors: |
Takada, Masahiko; (Osaka,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS, HANSON & BROOKS, LLP
1725 K STREET, NW
SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Assignee: |
SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Moriguchi-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
32290164 |
Appl. No.: |
10/704660 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/725 ;
G9B/33.027; G9B/33.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/124 20130101;
H05K 5/0295 20130101; G11B 33/121 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/725 |
International
Class: |
H05K 007/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 15, 2002 |
JP |
2002-331492 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for accommodating an insert, comprising: a chassis into
which the insert may be installed detachably/reattachably; an eject
button for being pressed along the direction in which the insert is
installed; a slide unit attached to the eject button and urged in
an insert-ejection direction; a push-out member interlocked with
the slide unit, for pushing the insert in a direction in which the
insert is ejected from the chassis; and a cam mechanism for
switching the eject button between depressed and protruding states
each time the eject button is pushed, wherein in a standby state
the cam mechanism retains the eject button in the depressed state,
and in a state in which the insert is installed into the chassis,
by the eject button being pushed two times the push-out member and
the slide unit operate inter-connectedly whereby the insert is
ejected; characterized in that the cam mechanism has a first cam
portion for permitting the eject button to move only forward from
the depressed state, and a second cam portion permitting the eject
button to move between the depressed state and the protruding
state, the slide unit and the cam mechanism interlock with a
switching mechanism, the switching mechanism being spring-urged
toward the push-out member and by being pushed against the spring
by the insert when the insert is installed into the chassis, the
switching mechanism withdrawing from a travel path of the insert,
and in the standby state the switching mechanism performs a first
movement of interlocking into the first cam portion and advancing
into the travel path of the insert, and with the insert being
installed into the chassis, the switching mechanism performs a
second movement of withdrawing from the travel path of the insert,
wherein by a first pressing action on the eject button the
switching mechanism shifts into the second cam portion, permitting
the eject button to protrude backward, and by a second pressing
action on the eject button the switching mechanism permits the
push-out member and the slide unit to operate interconnectedly.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the insert is a
recording medium, and a latch lever is pivotally supported on the
slide unit, the latch lever performing a first movement for
shifting together with the slide unit in a direction of ejecting
the recording medium by a first action of pushing on the eject
button with the switching mechanism being out of the travel path of
the recording medium, and a second movement for driving the
push-out member in the ejecting direction of the recording medium
by a second action of pushing on the eject button.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to devices into which
inserts--specifically, recording mediums furnished with a connector
on one end and incorporating electronic circuitry--install
detachably/reattachably.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) are partly in section plan views of a
conventional device, wherein (a) shows a standby state, in which a
recording medium is not mounted in the device, and (b) shows a
state in which a recording medium is mounted in the device (see,
for example, Japanese Laid-Open Pat. App. Pub. No. 10-50406). A
recording medium 6 such as an IC card is furnished with a first
connector 60 on its one end. Hereinafter, the direction in which a
recording medium is inserted into the device is referred to as
"forward", and the direction in which the recording medium is
ejected out of the device as "backward."
[0005] The device has sidewalls 18, 18 erected along both sides of
a chassis 1. Provided in an inner part of the chassis 1 is a second
connector 61 for fitting with the first connector 60. The structure
for fitting the connectors 60 and 61 is well known.
[0006] On the chassis 1, a push-out lever 45 is supported on a
pivot 47 near the second connector 61, and a right end portion of
the push-out lever 45 is connected to a slide unit 7 that is
provided outward of one sidewall 18 and is shiftable back and
forth. A tail end portion of the slide unit 7 is provided with an
eject button 70. From a left end portion of the push-out lever 45,
a pin 46 protrudes downward.
[0007] In the standby state, the eject button 70 is depressed
inward as shown in FIG. 16(a). When the recording medium 6 is
inserted between the sidewalls 18, 18 with the first connector 60
facing forward, the front end of the recording medium 6 pushes the
pin 46 of the push-out lever 45, swinging the push-out lever 45
clockwise. Accordingly, the slide unit 7 and the eject button 70
are forced to protrude backward. Upon completing the insertion of
the recording medium 6, the connectors 60 and 61 fit together so
that signals may be recorded in the recording medium 6 or be played
back from the recording medium 6.
[0008] To eject the recording medium 6, the eject button 70 is
pressed in forward with the finger. The push-out lever 45 thereby
swings counterclockwise, forcing the pushing pin 46 to push the
front end of the recording medium 6 backward. The recording medium
6 is thus pushed out backward and is ejected out of the device.
[0009] In the standby state, the recording medium 6 will be
unintentionally ejected in a situation in which, if the amount by
which the eject button 70 protrudes is extensive, the eject button
70 is by some chance struck inadvertently by a user's hand. In view
of this problem, as shown in FIG. 17, there is a configuration in
which the eject button 70 is configured by two half-button portions
70a and 70b connected with a hinge 70c so that the backward
half-button portion 70b is rotatable about 90 degrees clockwise
relative to the front side half-button portion 70a. Thus, the
amount of protrusion of the eject button 70 is made small.
[0010] With the eject button 70 shown in FIG. 17, there still
remains a risk that the recording medium 6 will be accidentally
ejected in a situation in which, if a user neglects the operation
of swinging over the half-button portion 70b, the user's hand
accidentally strikes the eject button 70. What is more, the user is
required to take the trouble to fold the eject button 70, which is
cumbersome and gives the impression that the device is a low-grade
product.
[0011] In view of this, a device is proposed that performs
operations shown in FIG. 19 (see Japanese Laid-Open Pat. App. Pub.
No. 11-54208, for example). In this device, as shown in FIG. 18,
the push-out levers 45, 45 for urging the recording medium 6
backward are supported on pivots 47, 47 on the chassis 1, and one
sidewall 18 of the chassis 1 is provided with a cam mechanism (not
shown) into which the slide unit 7 fits. In the standby state, in
which the recording medium 6 is not inserted, the eject button 70
is at a forwardly depressed position. Even when the recording
medium 6 is mounted in the device, the depressed position is
maintained.
[0012] In this condition, if the eject button 70 is further pushed
in forward, the eject button 70 protrudes backward while the
recording medium 6 is kept in the mounted state, as shown in FIG.
19. When the eject button 70 that has been protruded backward is
pushed back forward once again, the recording medium 6 is ejected
out of the device, but the eject button 70 is kept in a forwardly
depressed state. Specifically, in order to eject the recording
medium 6 inserted in the device from the state where the eject
button 70 is depressed forward, the eject button 70 needs to be
pushed two times; therefore, even if the user's hand accidentally
strikes the eject button 70 while in the state where the recording
medium 6 is inserted in the device, the recording medium 6 is not
ejected.
[0013] If the eject button 70 is pushed without inserting the
recording medium 6 while in the standby state, the eject button 70
is kept in the forwardly depressed state. The recording medium 6
can be inserted in this condition. If the eject button 70 is pushed
once again, the eject button 70 protrudes backward.
[0014] In the device that performs the operations shown in FIG. 19,
however, while in its standby state, the eject button 70 may
protrude backward from the depressed state. Accordingly, if the
recording medium 6 is inserted into the device while the eject
button 70 is in the backwardly protruding state, the recording
medium 6 can be ejected out of the device by pushing the eject
button 70 one more time. Therefore, there remains a risk of
accidentally ejecting the recording medium 6 out of the device if
the user's hand accidentally hits the eject button 70 while the
eject button 70 is in a backwardly protruding state. In other
words, such a risk arises because of the possibility of the eject
button 70's protruding backward while the recording medium 6 is not
inserted in the device.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a device in which the eject button 70 is kept in a
forwardly depressed state while in the standby state so that it
does not protrudes backward accidentally.
[0016] In a device according to the present invention, a cam
mechanism is furnished with a first cam portion 11 permitting a
eject button 70 to move only forward from the depressed state, and
a second cam portion 12 permitting the eject button 70 to move
between the depressed state and the protruding state.
[0017] A slide unit 7 and the cam mechanism interlock with a
switching mechanism 3 that is spring-urged toward a push-out member
and that, by being pushed by a recording medium 6, which is an
insert, against the spring when fitting the recording medium 6 into
a chassis 1, withdraws from a travel path of the recording medium
6.
[0018] The switching mechanism 3 in its standby state performs a
first movement in which it interlocks into the first cam portion 11
and advances into the travel path of the recording medium 6, and
with the recording medium 6 being fitted into the chassis 1, a
second movement in which it withdraws from the travel path of the
recording medium 6, wherein by an initial pressing action on the
eject button 70 it shifts into the second cam portion 12,
permitting the eject button 70 to protrude backward, and by a
second pressing action on the eject button 70 it permits the
push-out member and the slide unit 7 to operate
interconnectedly.
[0019] With No Recording Medium Being Inserted
[0020] The switching mechanism 3 enter the travel path of the
recording medium 6 and interlocks in the first cam portion 11.
Because the first cam portion 11 only permits the eject button 70
to move forward from its depressed state, the eject button 70 does
not protrude backward.
[0021] With Recording Medium Being Inserted
[0022] The switching mechanism 3 withdraws from the travel path of
the recording medium 6 by being pushed by the recording medium 6.
At the first pushing operation for the eject button 70, the
switching mechanism 3 shifts into the second cam portion 12,
permitting the eject button 70 to protrude backward with the slide
unit 7 spring-urged backward. At the second pushing operation for
the eject button 70, the push-out member and the slide unit 7
operate inter-connectedly.
[0023] In a device according to the present invention, the eject
button 70 is kept in a forwardly depressed state and is not
protruded backward accidentally while in a standby state, in which
the recording medium 6 is not inserted. Thus, unlike conventional
cases, the recording medium 6 is not inserted while the eject
button 70 is being in a protruding state, therefore, the recording
medium 6 is not accidentally ejected out of the device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] For a more complete understanding of the present invention,
and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following
descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the device;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device, showing its
standby state;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device, showing a state
in which a recording medium is mounted therein;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device, showing a state
in which an eject button has been pressed after the recording
medium has been mounted;
[0029] FIG. 5 is an assembly diagram of the device, showing a state
in which the eject button has been pressed the second time after
the recording medium has been mounted;
[0030] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cam groove;
[0031] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a latch lever;
[0032] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an intermediate lever;
[0033] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a flat spring unit;
[0034] FIG. 10(a) is a plan view showing various components in a
standby state, and FIG. 10(b) is a plan view showing the positional
relationship between the cam groove and a cam follower;
[0035] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing various components when a
recording medium has been inserted;
[0036] FIG. 12(a) is a plan view showing various components in a
state where the eject button has been pressed one time, and FIG.
12(b) is a plan view showing the positional relationship between
the cam groove and the cam follower;
[0037] FIG. 13(a) is a plan view showing various components in a
state where the eject button projects backward, and FIG. 13(b) is a
plan view showing the positional relationship between the cam
groove and the cam follower;
[0038] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing various components when the
eject button has been pressed two times;
[0039] FIG. 15 is a diagram representing operations of the device
according to the present invention;
[0040] FIG. 16 are partly in section plan views of a conventional
device, wherein (a) and (b) respectively show a standby state in
which a recording medium is not mounted in the device and a state
in which a recording medium is mounted in the device;
[0041] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an eject button in which two
half-button portions are connected by a hinge;
[0042] FIG. 18 is a plan view showing another conventional device;
and
[0043] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing operations of the device shown
in FIG. 18.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0044] With reference to the drawings, one embodiment of the
present invention is detailed below.
[0045] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a device according
to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 through FIG. 5 are assembly
diagrams of the device according to present embodiment. The
operations of the device according to the present embodiment are
shown in FIG. 15, which are similar to those of the conventional
device shown in FIG. 18 when the recording medium 6 is inserted in
the device.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, in a standby state, the eject button 70
is pushed in forward. As shown in FIG. 3, the eject button 70 is
kept in a depressed state even when the recording medium 6 is
inserted in the device. As shown in FIG. 4, the eject button 70 is
pushed out backward when the eject button 70 is pushed one time,
and as shown in FIG. 5, the recording medium 6 is ejected when the
eject button 70 is further pushed, that is, when the eject button
70 is pushed two times. As will be described later, the present
embodiment differs from conventional devices in how it operates in
an instance in which the eject button 70 is pushed during the
standby state, in which the recording medium 6 is not inserted in
the device.
[0047] The present embodiment shows, as an example of the recording
medium 6, a card type medium called iVDR, in which video and audio
data can be recorded. This is furnished with, as shown in FIG. 1, a
first connector 60 at its front end, so that it fits with a second
connector (not shown) provided in the inner part of the a chassis
when mounted on the chassis 1.
[0048] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the device
according to the present embodiment. Attached on the chassis 1 is a
holder 2 that has an opening at its rear end and in which the
recording medium 6 is inserted. The top face of the holder 2 has a
large opening 25 for confirming the presence or absence of the
recording medium 6 in the holder 2. On the front end of the holder
2, a push-out plate 8 is provided so as to be shiftable back and
forth, and the push-out plate 8 has a projection plate 82 extending
downward at its front end. The projection plate 82 comes into
contact with the front end of the recording medium 6 through a
cut-out 24 provided in a right corner of the holder 2. A pivot
shaft 23 provided on the holder 2 is fitted to a midportion of a
drive lever 80, and a projection 83 provided on the push-out plate
8 is fitted in a long hole 81 formed in a left end portion of the
drive lever 80. Thus, when the drive lever 80 swings, the push-out
plate 8 slides back and forth accordingly.
[0049] At the right end of the holder 2, an intermediate slide
plate 20 is provided so as to be shiftable back and forth, and a
projection 22 provided on the front end of the intermediate slide
plate 20 is fitted in a long hole 81a formed in a right end portion
of the drive lever 80. A tab 21 extends downward from the
intermediate slide plate 20.
[0050] The right end of the chassis 1 forms a receiving surface 15,
a front end portion of which has cam groove 10 formed therein. A
spring peg 16 protrudes from a right end portion of the receiving
surface 15. On the receiving surface 15, a slide unit 7 is provided
so as to be shiftable back and forth. The slide unit 7 is provided
with a first pivot shaft 71 protruding from a front end portion
thereof, and an eject button 70 is attached to a rear end portion
thereof. A tension spring 72 is hooked between a hook 73 formed on
the slide unit 7 and the spring peg 16 of the chassis 1 so that the
slide unit 7 is urged backward. The first pivot shaft 71 of the
slide unit 7 is fitted through a latch lever 5, an intermediate
lever 30, and a torsion spring (not shown) urging the intermediate
lever 30 counterclockwise. On a front end portion of the
intermediate lever 30, a second pivot shaft 31 is provided, and the
second pivot shaft 31 is fitted through a switching lever 4. A flat
spring unit 9 formed by bending a metal plate is capped onto the
intermediate lever 30.
[0051] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cam groove 10 on the chassis 1.
The cam groove 10 has a first longitudinal groove 11a extending
longitudinally, a transverse groove 12a extending rightward from
the front end of the first longitudinal groove 11a, a diagonal
groove 12b extending backward and rightward from the right end of
the transverse groove 12a, and a second longitudinal groove 12c
extending backward from the rear end of the diagonal groove 12b.
The rear end of the second longitudinal groove 12c is located
further backward of the rear end of the first longitudinal groove
11a. As will be described later, the first longitudinal groove 11a
forms a first cam portion 11 that permits the eject button 70 to
move only forward from the depressed state of the eject button 70,
while the transverse groove 12a, the diagonal groove 12b, and the
second longitudinal groove 12c together form the second cam portion
12 that permits the eject button 70 to shift between the depressed
state and the protruding state.
[0052] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the latch lever 5. The latch lever
5 is formed by bending a metal plate and is furnished with a claw
piece 50, which on which a tab 21 of the intermediate slide plate
20 catches, as described later. The claw piece 50 is provided with
a receiving piece 51 on its rear, and the inner surface of the
receiving piece 51 comes into contact with the rear end of the flat
spring unit 9.
[0053] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the intermediate lever 30.
The intermediate lever 30 is made of a synthetic resin and is
provided with, in addition to the above-mentioned second pivot
shaft 31, a positioning projection 34 for positioning the flat
spring unit 9 and a fitting tube 35 for fitting onto the first
pivot shaft 71 of the slide unit 7, both of which are on a flat
plate 33. On the left of the second pivot shaft 31, a stopper 36 is
provided for preventing the switching lever 4 from excessively
swinging counterclockwise. At both sides of the fitting tube 35,
wall plates 37, 37 are provided on the flat plate 33. From the
lower surface of a front end portion of the flat plate 33, a cam
follower 32 is protruded, which is a protruding shaft that fits
into the cam groove 10 in the chassis 1.
[0054] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the flat spring unit 9. The
flat spring unit 9 is mounted over the intermediate lever 30 after
the intermediate lever 30 has been fitted onto the first pivot
shaft 71 and the switching lever 4 has been fitted onto the second
pivot shaft 31 of the intermediate lever 30. In the flat spring
unit 9, a fitting plate 94 and an urging plate 90 protrude downward
from both sides of a horizontal plate 93. A front end portion of
the urging plate 90 forms a first urging portion 91 for urging the
switching lever 4 counterclockwise, whereas a rear end portion of
the urging plate 90 forms a second urging portion 92 for urging the
latch lever 5 clockwise. The fore-end of the second urging portion
92 comes into contact with the inner side of the receiving piece 51
of the latch lever 5 so that when the flat spring unit 9 swings
counterclockwise, the latch lever 5 swings counterclockwise
accordingly.
[0055] For reasons stated later, the force with which the first
urging portion 91 urges the switching lever 4 is configured to be
greater than the force with which the torsion spring fitted onto
the first pivot shaft 71 urges the intermediate lever 30
counterclockwise. The fitting plate 94 and a longitudinally mid
portion of the urging plate 90 are fitted onto the inner sides of
the wall plates 37, 37 of the intermediate lever 30, whereby the
flat spring unit 9 is mounted onto the intermediate lever 30.
[0056] With a Recording Medium Being Inserted
[0057] During Insertion
[0058] FIG. 10 through FIG. 14 show plan views illustrating the
operations of various components from when inserting the recording
medium 6 into the device while in the standby state to when
ejecting it. For the sake of simplicity in the drawings, only the
components necessary for the operations are illustrated. The large
opening 25 in the holder 2 is not shown.
[0059] FIGS. 2, 10(a), and 10(b) illustrate the standby state. The
push-out plate 8 has been moved backward, and the projection plate
82 is brought into contact with the rear edge of the cut-out 24 of
the holder 2. The switching lever 4 is pushed by the flat spring
unit 9, making contact with the stopper 36 of the intermediate
lever 30, and its fore-end portion enters the travel path of the
recording medium 6 and the push-out plate 8. In this condition, the
cam follower 32 of the intermediate lever 30 is located at the rear
end of the first longitudinal groove 11a in the cam groove 10. The
eject button 70 is, as shown in FIG. 2, at a forwardly depressed
position. That is, when the cam follower 32 is fitted in the first
longitudinal groove 11a of the cam groove 10, the eject button 70
is permitted to move only forward from the forwardly depressed
position.
[0060] As will be described later, the switching lever 4 and the
intermediate lever 30 together form a switching mechanism 3. The
switching mechanism 3 performs a first movement by which the eject
button 70 is held in its depressed state when the recording medium
6 is not in the holder 2, irrespective of the action of pushing the
eject button 70. The switching mechanism 3 also performs a second
movement by which the eject button 70 is switched between the
depressed state and the protruding state by the action of the eject
button 70 being pushed when the recording medium 6 is in the holder
2.
[0061] When the recording medium 6 is inserted into the holder 2 in
the standby state, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, the front end face
of the recording medium 6 pushes the push-out plate 8 forward. The
drive lever 80 accordingly swings clockwise with the pivot shaft 23
being the pivotal axis, forcing the intermediate slide plate 20 to
move backward.
[0062] A side face of the recording medium 6 pushes the fore-end
portion of the switching lever 4, and the switching lever 4 swings
clockwise against the flat spring unit 9 with the second pivot
shaft 31 being the pivotal axis. The intermediate lever 30 and the
latch lever 5 do not move in longitudinal directions, and the cam
follower 32 does not move from the position shown in FIG. 10(b),
restricting swing movement of the intermediate lever 30.
[0063] The eject button 70 remains at the forwardly depressed
position, and the first connector 60 of the recording medium 6 (see
FIG. 1) fits in the second connector on the chassis 1; thus, the
recording medium 6 is mounted on the chassis 1. In this condition,
signal recording is possible into the recording medium 6, and
signal playback is possible from the recording medium 6.
[0064] During Ejection
[0065] In order to eject the recording medium 6 out of the device
after completion of signal recording or playback, first, the eject
button 70 that has been depressed is further pushed against the
tension spring 72. As shown in FIG. 12(a), the slide unit 7 moves
forward, and the switching lever 4, the intermediate lever 30, and
the latch lever 5 accordingly move forward. The cam follower 32 of
the intermediate lever 30 reaches the left-side end of the
transverse groove 12a, where its rightward movement is permitted.
As described previously, the switching lever 4 is brought into
contact with the side face of the recording medium 6 and is thereby
pushed rightward. The switching lever 4 is pushed against the flat
spring unit 9, and because the force with which the flat spring
unit 9 urges the switching lever 4 is greater than the force with
which the torsion spring urges the intermediate lever 30
counterclockwise as described previously, the intermediate lever 30
also swings rightward, i.e., clockwise. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the
cam follower 32 reaches the right end of the transverse groove
12a.
[0066] Since the slide unit 7 is urged backward by the tension
spring 72, the cam follower 32 passes through the diagonal groove
12b, reaching the rear end of the second longitudinal groove 12c as
shown in FIG. 13(b). Since the rear end of the second longitudinal
groove 12c is located at a position further backward than the rear
end of the first longitudinal groove 11a, the slide unit 7 moves
backward, and the switching lever 4, the intermediate lever 30, and
the latch lever 5 accordingly move backward, as shown in FIG.
13(a). The eject button 70 thus protrudes backward (see FIG.
4).
[0067] Since the second longitudinal groove 12c of the cam groove
10 shown in FIG. 13(a) is located further rightward than the first
longitudinal groove 11a, the switching lever 4, the intermediate
lever 30, and the latch lever 5 swing clockwise further than in the
standby state. The latch lever 5 is pushed by the second urging
portion 92 of the flat spring unit 9, swinging clockwise, and the
claw piece 50 of the latch lever 5 is located at the rear of the
tab 21 of the intermediate slide plate 20.
[0068] The user pushes the eject button 70 once again from the
position where the eject button 70 protrudes backward. As shown in
FIG. 14, with the forward movement of the slide unit 7, the claw
piece 50 of the latch lever 5 catches the tab 21 of the
intermediate slide plate 20, making the intermediate slide plate 20
move forward. The drive lever 80 swings counterclockwise, forcing
the push-out plate 8 to move backward. The recording medium 6 is
pushed out by the push-out plate 8, and as shown in FIG. 5, its
rear end portion protrudes from the holder 2, allowing the user to
grasp the rear end portion of the recording medium 6 and draw it
out of the holder 2. The drive lever 80 and the push-out plate 8
return the positions shown in FIG. 10(a).
[0069] Since the recording medium 6 has been drawn out, the
switching lever 4 is permitted to enter the travel path of the
recording medium 6. Due to the forward movement of the slide unit
7, the cam follower 32 moves forward from the rear end of the
second longitudinal-groove 12c, passes through the diagonal groove
12b and the transverse groove 12a, and reaches the first
longitudinal groove 11a. Because the intermediate lever 30 is urged
counterclockwise by the torsion spring, it returns to the position
shown in FIG. 10(a), and the flat spring unit 9 attached to the
intermediate lever 30 accordingly swings counterclockwise from the
position shown in FIG. 14. Since The fore-end portion of the second
urging portion 92 of the flat spring unit 9 is in contact with the
inner side of the receiving piece 51, the latch lever 5 swings
counterclockwise together with the flat spring unit 9.
[0070] As the slide unit 7 is urged by the tension spring 72, the
cam follower 32 is, as shown in FIG. 10(a), placed to the rear end
of the first longitudinal groove 11a in the cam groove 10. The
eject button 70 is brought to a forwardly depressed position, as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0071] With No Recording Medium Being Inserted
[0072] In the standby state shown in FIG. 10, if the eject button
70 is pushed forward without the recording medium 6 being inserted,
the fore-end portion of the switching lever 4 is kept in the travel
path of the recording medium 6 by the flat spring unit 9 because
the switching lever 4 is not pushed sideways by the recording
medium 6. The cam follower 32 of the intermediate lever 30 cannot
move to the transverse groove 12a, and therefore, even if the eject
button 70 is pushed forward, the cam follower 32 moves only forward
within the first longitudinal groove 11a. Because the position at
which the cam follower 32 comes into contact with the rear end of
the first longitudinal groove 11a is the depressed state of the
eject button 70, the eject button 70 is held in its depressed state
(see FIG. 15).
[0073] In the device according to the present embodiment, the eject
button 70 is kept in a forwardly depressed state while in the
standby state, and it does not protrude backward accidentally. With
this being the case, there is no risk of inserting the recording
medium 6 while in a state where the eject button 70 protrudes.
[0074] In addition, when the recording medium 6 is inserted in the
holder 2, the recording medium 6 cannot be ejected unless the eject
button 70 is pushed two times. This also eliminates the risk of a
user's accidentally ejecting the recording medium 6.
[0075] In the present embodiment, the recording medium 6 has been
illustrated as an example the insert and iVDR has been described as
an example of the recording medium 6; however, floppy disks, IC
cards, and memory cards may be employed therefor. In addition, the
insert may be a tuner unit. Further, although not shown in the
drawings, the recording medium 6 may be directly ejected by the
drive lever 80. Additionally, the materials of the intermediate
lever 30 and the latch lever 5 are not limited to those described
in the embodiment.
[0076] Only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the
present invention. To those skilled in the art, however, it will be
apparent from the foregoing disclosure that various changes and
modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore,
the foregoing description of the embodiments according to the
present invention is provided for illustration only, and not for
limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
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